Spyware Programs

Spyware Programs

Significant and Current Known Spyware

The following list of spyware programs classifies them by their effects for illustrative purposes. For a more complete list click here!

Malware containing email:

Generating pop-ups:

  • 180 Solutions
  • DirectRevenue
  • lop.com (advertising, pop ups, security risk, tries to dial out at random)

Generating pop-ups, damaging and/or slowing computers:

  • Bonzi Buddy
  • Cydoor
  • Gator, made by the Claria Corporation (Advertising, pop ups, privacy violation, significant security risk, partially disables firewalls, some stability issues. Gator has a reputation as difficult to remove once installed.) This is one of the worst!
  • New.net (security risk, stability issues, common cause of inability to connect)
  • ShopAtHomeSearch

Hijacking browsers:

  • CoolWebSearch - a well-known browser hijacker; some variants have a reputation for damaging the TCP stack when forcibly uninstalled
  • Euniverse
  • Xupiter

Committing fraud:

  • XXXDial

Stealing information:

  • Back Orifice (arguably better categorized as a Trojan Horse, since it has no commercial motive. It also has legitimate uses such as remote administration.)

Masquerading as a spyware-remover:

  • SpyKiller - Don't think this program will help you - it IS spyware!

Miscellaneous:

  • Internet Optimizer (Advertising, fake alert messages, possible privacy violation, security risk)
  • MarketScore (Claims to speed up Internet connections: serious privacy violation, loss of Internet connection on some systems)
  • CnsMin (Made in China; privacy violation. Preset in many Japanese PCs as JWord!)

Programs known to be bundling adware

  • Kazaa
  • Bearshare
  • DivX (except for the paid version, and the 'standard' version without the encoder)
  • Note: Also any related P2P networking software may also contain some type of known spyware. Users should read software licenses carefully.

For More Information About Spyware and Adware, See:

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.